Panels?

The teaser site for GSF mentions that the game uses "panels". I assume that means actual panels of cardboard to block people from seeing your cards or whatever (right?), perhaps used when a card play needs to be revealed simultaneously. But in a co-op game, what would you need to hide from your co-space pirates? Why wouldn't you just talk out what the best order of play is rather than doing it hidden?

So maybe I've got it wrong. Does anyone know or care to speculate what the panels are and what they're for?